A refined experience. We didn’t invent electronic wayfinding – there are examples of attempted solutions since the 1970’s. However, we were the first to create a successful format from which an entire industry has emerged. Today we remain the innovators worldwide and continually strive to provide the best experience for you and your customers.
Leading the way
In 2003, Abuzz was selected to develop Electronic Directories for Westfield in Sydney, Australia. The innovations Abuzz developed were world firsts including:
- A sophisticated system allowing the user to find the shortest route between their origin and destination
- “Heads up orientation” where the map is always presented relative to the way the user is facing
- Animated path drawn between the user and their destination across multiple levels
- Centralised administration of tenants and shop data via simple, intuitive administration website
- Measurement and reporting of all user interactions and statistics
What is Wayfinding?
The term Way-finding was actually first coined in a book by Kevin Lynch called “Image of the City” (1960) and is summarised as the use of spatial and environmental information to find your way in the built environment.
Later titles on the subject by Romedi Passini & Paul Arthur are considered landmark publications for architects, planners, graphic designers.
So a common vocabulary and approach has developed in these professions, a “language of space” which helps in designing holistic systems for orienting visitors in complex public spaces.
Wayfinding is used to describe a system that helps people find their way from one place to another, often through a complex or new environment. Examples include shopping centres, hospitals, galleries, libraries, museums, casinos, even zoos! An effective wayfinding system will identify the most efficient way to direct people through a space, based on research evidence collected from the particular space it relates to.
The tools to assist people in wayfinding can include:
- Printed information
- Architectural features and design elements
- Permanent signage
- Digital devices (e.g. kiosks or mobile)
- Human interactions (e.g. with information officers)
Why Wayfinding matters
People will always need directions.
Visitor experience is emerging as an important factor in overall satisfaction when visiting a new environment. Poor wayfinding systems can increase anxiety, confusion and dissatisfaction with a person’s experience of that environment. Directional signage, whether static or digital, should aim for the same result – provision of clear, accurate information concisely at the right time. The factors that can negatively affect how well these goals are met are many. In a shopping centre, for example, directional signage competes with store logos, products in store windows and promotional signage.
Wayfinding is behaviour. It is not the same as signage.
Good wayfinding means knowing where you are, knowing your destination, following the best route to your destination and recognising it when you arrive. A wayfinding system is more than just signs. It’s a mutually reinforcing group of sensory aids and visual clues that help people make navigational decisions.
Architectural environments provide a variety of clues that allow people to navigate unfamiliar places. When these clues are consistently presented, people find their way effortlessly. When they are inconsistent, people get lost. Most people possess innate abilities and strategies that allow them to navigate unfamiliar environments, without the need for signs and arrows. By understanding these abilities, it’s possible to develop wayfinding strategies that work effectively without the need for excessive or unnecessary signage.
Factors such as memory, logic, cognitive mapping, spatial recognition and information processing have played a significant role in shaping the intuitive interface of the Abuzz Wayfinder solution. We understand that there can be a significant impact on customer satisfaction when information is presented poorly.
It’s important to recognise that whilst some people require detailed pathing to a specific destination, others sometimes only require a quick orientation within the environment. Our solution caters for both.